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Breadwinner wives reign in 44% of homes

THEY are known as the breadwinner wives. Some 44% of women in Britain now earn at least the same amount as their husbands and boyfriends, according to research.

Almost a fifth (19%) take home more than their partners - a fivefold increase over the past 40 years.

The role reversal has been driven by improved education levels among women and changing social norms. Most career women, for example, no longer expect to be kept by their boyfriends, while more men are now willing to run the household instead of going out to work.

"There are huge positive changes for women in areas that have previously been traditionally male," said Jacqueline Scott, professor of sociology at Cambridge University. "There has been a shift in gender roles.More women are now becoming doctors, for example, and opportunities in the workplace are opening up. Both men and women should be contributing to the family income.